Filing device



C. B. ULRICH FILING DEVICE Feb. 4, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1957 M I) I! I Wm w Feb. 4, 1941. uLRlCH 2,239,733

FILING DEVICE Filed June 5, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to filing devices. It has particular relation to the mounting of index cards or other cards in upright positions within a drawer of a filing cabinet. The present application is a continuation in part of my prior application, Serial No. 98,045, filed August 26,- 1936.

It is an object of the present invention to provide certain new and useful improvements in the manner of supporting cards in vertical positions and enabling the convenient insertion and removal of cards. It is also designed to provide for the sliding of cards back and forth within the drawer, the tilting of the cards rearwardly and forwardly, and at the same time effectively 15 maintaining the cards in the desired general upright condition within the drawer.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for mounting index and other cards in a new and novel manner so that the interior of the drawer is free from obstructions commonly presented by card mountings, and the entire cross section of the drawer is available for filing purposes.

r Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detail description of certain embodiments of the invention.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appending claims, it of course being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details may be made Within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure l is a fragmentary cross sectional view of substantially one half of a drawer having a card mounted therein in accordance with the present invention. I

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspec- 5 tive view of the guide rail mounting shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing another embodiment of guide rail mounting.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one embodiment 50 of card employed as a part of the present inven tion.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional View on he line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view 55 illustrating means for adapting the present invention to a conventional drawer without requiring any change in the latter.

The present invention has been shown in connection with a drawer of a conventional filing cabinet. The side walls I and bottom 2 of the 5 drawer shown in the accompanying drawings being those of a metal drawer, the front and rear ends being omitted. It will be understood however that the invention is applicable equally as well to a wooden drawer. The bottom 2 of the 10 drawer may have any common or preferred form of gutter or channel 3 provided therein for the reception of the usual removable index card retaining rod 4.

The index card 5 is of conventional form and of a size to fit within the drawer transversely thereof and to slide within the drawer longitudinal thereof. While the card may be of any suitable material, relatively stiff and flexible fiber-board is preferred. At the bottom edge of the card there is an integral downwardly extending tab 6 having a working fit within the channel 3 provided with an elliptical opening receiving the rod 4, the edges of the opening being protected by a metal eyelet I.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, a channel 22 is bent in the side Wall of the drawer and has one of its transverse walls, as. the bottom wall 23 inclined downwardly and outwardly, and the track or rail on which the card is to be slidably mounted, is a track channel member 24 substantially corresponding to the interior shape and size of the drawer channel 22 whereby the track channel 24 may be driven endwise into the drawer channel 22 and be retained therein by reason of its tight frictional engagement with the interior walls of the drawer channel. With a wooden side wall, the drawer channel would be cut in the inner side of the wall, as will be readily understood. The bottom wall of the track channel is provided with an upstanding part 25 designed to constitute a rail or track member on which the card 5 is slidably mounted, while the top transverse wall of the track channel is provided with a depending flange 26 projecting slightly below the top edge or wall of the drawer channel, whereby the parts 25 and 26 define a slot or opening to receive the hook 21 provided upon the card 5 and projecting at one of the upright edges thereof. The space or distance between the parts 25 and 26 is sufilcient to permit the'introduction and removal of the hook 2! from the channel, while at the same time the part 26 overhangs and constitutes a stop to limit accidental upward movement of the hook 21 within the channel, and thus prevent undesirable upward and accidental displacement of the card. In Figure 3 of the drawings, a modified arrangement has been shown wherein the top wall 28 of the drawer channel is inclined downwardly so as to form a dove-tailed channel, the track channel 24 having its upper transverse wall omitted, whereby the track channel may be driven into the drawer channel and be retained therein in a satisfactory manner without employing any other fastening means, such for instance as spotwelding. The dove-tailed form of drawer channel is intended primarily Where the channel is located below the top of the drawer, although of course it could be used at the top of the drawer. However, the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 is preferred for the top of the drawer so as to present a flat or horizontal surface at the top edge of each side wall of the drawer. While the retaining rod 4 and channel 3 have been shown in Figure 1, it will of course be understood that these parts may be omitted so as to obtain the advantage of a deeper drawer.

By housing the track-rails in channels which lie externally of the drawer, the interior side walls of the drawer are free from obstructions and flush from top to bottom, so that the mounting for the card does not present anything on which papers being filed or removed are liable to hang or catch and be damaged thereby.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the card 5 is slidably suspended upon the opposite rails 25 for slidable and tiltable movements thereon. Where the retaining rod 4 is employed, it prevents upward displacement of the card. The opening 1 in the card to receive the rod 4 is elongated in an upright direction so as to permit tilting the card. The card 5 being of flexible material, may be bent for convenience in introducing the hooks 21 into the channels 24, thus facilitating the engagement of the hooks with the rails 25. Also there is such clearance between the top of the rails 25 and the flanges 26, as will permit of the engagement and disengagement of the hooks with the rails.

It will be understood that the elongated opening 1 in the bottom of the card permits the necessary vertical play of the card to enable tilting thereof, and that the hooks 21 will bind on the rails 25 and limit the tilting of the card, and thus the card will always be held in an upright position and be prevented from falling down fiat within the drawer.

The channel 3, and also the tab 6 on the card, may be dispensed with, whereby the depth of the drawer may be increased by the depth of the channel 3. With such an arrangement the rod 4 would be dispensed with, and upward displacement of the card would be prevented by the flanges 26 overlying the hooks 21.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with an index card, it will of course be understood that it is applicable to any card to be placed in the drawer of a filing cabinet.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, the card 5 is shown as being reinforced by a metal plate 29 suitably secured to one side of the card by rivets or suitable fastenings 30. The reinforcing plate is preferably arranged in transverse alignment with the hooks 2'! provided at the upright edges of the card, and the plate is provided with hollow ribs or corrugations 3| pressed therefrom to stiffen the plate and likewise stiffen the card. As thus far described, the present invention contemplates the pressing, bending or otherwise deforming the side walls of the drawer so as to accommodate the hooks on the cards and to obtain the unobstructed full width of the interior of the drawer for filing purposes. To obviate the necessity of deforming the side wall of the drawer, and also to obtain the advantages of the present invention in a drawer already in use, I have provided the attachment shown in Figure 6, wherein I indicates a portion of a side wall drawer having the usual bottom 2 and the beaded upper edge portion 48. My attachment includes a flat metallic plate 4! of the size and shape to fit within the drawer against the inner face of the upright wall I. The top portion of the plate 4| is deformed to form a channel 42 disposed at the outer side of the plate 4i and. designed to rest upon the top of the beaded portion 40 of the drawer side wall I. Within the channel 42 is provided a track channel 43, similar to that shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, whereby a card 5 of suitable dimensions and provided with edge hooks may be slidably mounted and supported upon the track rail portion 44 of the track channel 43. A suitable spring clip 45 is secured to the outer face of the channel 42 and depends therefrom, its lower end being bent into a hook formation 46 designed to slip under and against the lower side of the bead 40 to thereby detachably hold the track rail attachment effectually in place upon the drawer.

I claim:

1. A filing device comprising a filing drawer, each upright side wall of the drawer being provided with a channel opening into the interior of the drawer, a track channel housed Within each drawer channel, correspondingtransverse walls of each two adjacent channels being in engagement and inclined to the vertical to prevent transverse displacement of each track channel from the corresponding drawer channel, each said track channel having an upstanding track rail.

2. A filing device comprising a filing drawer, each upright side wall of the drawer being provided with a top bead projecting at the outer side of the wall, and a card mounting attachment comprising a plate lying against one of the side walls and provided with a channel lying upon the top of the beaded edge of the drawer, said channel having a track rail, and a spring clip depending from the channel and having a portion underlying the bottom of the bead.

3. A filing device comprising a filing drawer having upright side Walls provided with channels opening longitudinally into said drawer, a track channel housed within and closely fitting each of said drawer channels vertically and laterally, each of said track channels being higher vertically than the vertical height of the associated drawer channel opening and having a longitudinal opening in line with the opening in the associated drawer channel, whereby each track channel is firmly held in the associated drawer channel by its fit in the associated drawer channel.

4. A filing device comprising a filing drawer having upright side walls provided with channels opening longitudinally into said drawer, a track channel housed within and closely fitting each of said drawer channels vertically and laterally, each of said track channels being higher vertically than the vertical height of the associated drawer channel opening and having a longitudinal opening in line with the opening in the associated drawer channel, whereby each track channel is firmly held in the associated drawer channel by its fit in the associated drawer channel, each of said drawer channels having a wall adjacent the inside of the drawer and overlapping the associated track channel.

5. A filing device comprising a filing drawer having upright side walls provided with channels opening longitudinally into said drawer, a track channel housed within and closely fitting each of said drawer channels vertically and laterally, each of said track channels being higher vertically than the vertical height of the associated drawer channel opening and having a longitudinal opening in line with the opening in the associated drawer channel, whereby each track channel is firmly held in the associated drawer channel, each of said track channels having a track rail for card engaging purposes.

6. A filing device comprising a filing drawer having upright side walls provided with channels opening longitudinally into said drawer, a track channel housed within and closely fitting each of said drawer channels vertically and laterally, each of said track channels being higher vertically than the Vertical height of the associated drawer channel opening and having a longitudinal opening in line with the opening in the associated drawer channel, whereby each track channel is firmly held in the associated drawer channel by its fit in the associated drawer channel, said drawer channels being readily separable from and attachable to the walls of the drawer as desired.

7. A filing device comprising a filing drawer, each upright side wall of the drawer being provided with a top bead projecting at the outer side of the wall, and a card mounting attachment comprising a plate lying against one of the side walls and provided with a channel lying upon the top of the beaded edge of the drawer, said channel having a track rail therein, said channel and said track rail having interengaging surfaces restraining said channel and said track rail from movement relatively to each other excepting longitudinally thereof.

8. A filing device comprising a filing drawer, each upright side of the drawer being provided with a top bead projecting at the outer side of the wall, and a card mounting attachment comprising a plate lying against one of the side walls and provided with a channel lying upon the top of the beaded edge of the drawer, said channel having a track rail, and a spring clip depending from the channel and having a portion underlying the bottom of the bead, said channel and said track rail having interengaging surfaces re-' straining said channel and said track rail from movement relatively to each other excepting longitudinally thereof.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a card mounting attachment for a drawer of a filing device, comprising a plate provided at its top with a channel projecting at the exterior of the plate, a track rail within the channel, and means carried by the channel for engagement with the exterior of the drawer to hold the attachment in place, said channel and said track rail having interengaging surfaces restraining said channel and said track rail from movement relatively to each other excepting longitudinally thereof.

10. A filing device comprising a filing drawer having upright side walls, two mounting channels, and a track rail in each of said channels, said channels being on said side walls, each of said channels and its associated track rail having interengaging surfaces restraining said channel and said track rail from movement relatively to each other excepting longitudinally thereof.

11. As a new article of manufacture, a card mounting attachment for a drawer of a filing device, comprising a channel, a track rail in said channel, and means carried by said channel for readily detachable engagement with the drawer to hold the attachment in place upon a wall of the drawer, said channel and said track rail having interengaging surfaces restraining said channel and said track rail from movement relatively to each other excepting longitudinally thereof.

CHARLES BENJAMIN ULRICH. 

